VIEWPOINT | It’s time to focus on the facts
Guest column by Ryan Brunner, South Dakota Governor's Office
Next Tuesday, the legislature will meet to consider and approve the proposal for a new men’s prison brought forward by the prison task force. One choice is to vote yes and support meaningful, program-based incarceration, including faith-based rehabilitation. The other is to vote against a safe workplace for officers and against the wishes of police chiefs, sheriffs, states’ attorneys, and the Attorney General.
This summer, the prison task force unanimously determined that we need a new, 1,500 bed prison in Sioux Falls. The task force’s work included thousands of pages of information and hours of public comment, all live-streamed online. Yet, some are still claiming there are too many unanswered questions or spreading myths. It is time to focus on the facts to improve public safety for all South Dakotans.
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Myth: The prison will cost more than $650 million in total costs to build.
Fact: The legislation requires a 2/3rd vote and a construction manager to competitively procure every piece of the prison. There will be a guaranteed maximum price of $650 million or less. It would be illegal to go over the legislation’s cap. The only way this prison will cost $1 billion is if we keep kicking the can down the road.
Myth: The prison doesn’t need to be that large or will hold out-of-state prisoners.
Fact: Multiple consultant reports evaluated the current overcrowding and future prison system needs. A 1,500-bed prison was unanimously adopted by the task force and is built for South Dakota prisoners. All 50 states can participate in a compact that the Legislature approved, under which the state may trade inmates with other states for reasons such as security needs, witness protection, or victim protection. These “out-of-state” prisoners are few, and the state receives no revenue for housing an interstate compact inmate, nor do we pay another state. Illegal immigrant “detainees” can’t be held in any state prison by law. The bottom line is: 1,500 beds are needed to meet South Dakota’s need.
Myth: There are cheaper options, or we should add on to existing prisons.
Fact: The task force evaluated these options and found that adding to an existing prison will increase costs by at least 30-40 percent versus a new site. Construction inside a secure area requires delays, searches, and security of equipment to prevent inmates from hurting staff or escaping. Adding onto the Jameson Annex would add 192 beds for $138.2 million or $720,000 per bed. This is 66.2 percent higher than the plan the legislature will approve next week at $433,000 per bed. Another example: to build just the proposed 300-bed dormitory inside an existing facility would cost 34.1 percent more.
Myth: We should focus on reducing recidivism instead of building a new prison.
Fact: The task force agreed that we need to reduce recidivism. However, you need classrooms to teach classes. To hire teachers and counselors, you need offices. To provide treatment programming, you need space. To learn a vocation, you need the industrial space. Right now, mentally ill inmates can visit a few small behavioral health offices right next to the execution chamber — not exactly therapeutic. Southeast Tech has been approved for a satellite campus on-site at the new prison. The proposed facility provides the space to train these folks and get them to work, to provide drug rehabilitation, and to deliver mental health counseling. The department needs appropriate space to expand programs that prepare and coach offenders to reenter the community.
In summary, no one wants to build a prison if they don’t have to. Unfortunately, they are a necessary part of keeping South Dakota safe. In just the last couple of weeks, our nation has been exposed to heinous crimes that have shocked our public conscience. One of these crimes was the murder of a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death by a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests. It is clear the new prison must focus on rehabilitation to show inmates what God’s love is through action.
Next week the legislature has a choice. This is the right plan, at the right price, and the right location. This should be an easy vote.
Ryan Brunner serves as Senior Policy Advisor for Public Safety and Director of Legislative Relations for Governor Larry Rhoden. His portfolio includes advising Governor Rhoden on policy issues regarding the Department of Corrections.
